Relief valve for steam engine cylinders



. Patented June 9, 1885.

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llNIrTEE STATES PATENT @EEME.

THoMAs M. FELL, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR o THE UNITED sTATES STEAMsPEoIALTY COMPANY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

RELIEF-VALVE FOR STEAM-ENGINE CYLENDERS.

(EPEGIFECATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,571, dated June 9,1885.

Application filed December 6. 1884. (Modci) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS MARA FELL, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Relief-Valves for Steam- Engine Cylinders, which improvement is fullyset forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to the relief-valves that are used in connectionwith steam-engine cylinders to prevent the evils arising fromovercompression and watercondensation.

In an application for patent filed by me July 29, 1884, and officiallynumbered 139,115, I have described and shown a relief-valve of thisnature. The present invention does not include any matter described orshown in said application, but comprises certain additionalimprovements, as follows:

First. Two relief-valves are combined with a common discharge-chamber,to which the conducting-pipes lead from each end of the cylinder, andthe pipes and passages between the said chamber and the said cylinderare closed and arranged partly below the opening I into the cylinder, soas to collect and maintain a body of water therein. Each valve controlsthe communication of one of these pipes with the commondischarge-chamber. The relief of overpressure at either end of thecylinder is thus effected by its own valve, while at the same time thetwo valves with their dischargechamber constitute a single structureneater and more cheaply made than two detached valves each complete initself.

Second. To secure the greatest economy in the manufacture, as well as toimprove the appearance of the double valve, the common discharge-chamber(top, bottom, sides, and ends) is made of one piece or casting, and thespringchambers, or chambers for containing the devices which hold thevalvesto their seats,

are made separately, and are screwedinto separate holes in the wall ofthe said dischargechamber. 1 A

Third. The valveseat for each valve consists of a bushing. of softermetal than that of the valve-disk set into the wallof thedischarge-chamber, and therefore canufieasily begroundbeforeinscrtiomandisrenewablewhenever desired. r

Fourth. To protect the spring which holds the valve to its seat as muchas possible from access of water, the spring, instead of acting directlyagainst the valve-disk, bears against a disk or plate at the upper endof the valvestem, both spring and disk being larger in diameter than thestem, and the springchamber, which is of suitable diameter to containsaid spring and disk, is formed at the bottom into chamber is thus cutoff from the discharge or 4 valve chamber. There are also certainspecial constructions and combinations of the parts above named whichare believed to be new, and which are hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view, partly in elevationand partly in sec tion, showing the improved double relief-valveapparatus applied to a horizontal engine-cylinder; Fig. 2, a view,enlarged, of the valve apparatus detached; and Fig. 3, a detail viewillustrating a slight modification.

The discharge or valve chamber A is made in one hollow casting-top,bottom, sides, and ends. The relief-valves are placed one at each end,and as they are alike one description will suffice for both. The bushing13,

which forms the valve-seat, is screwed into the bottom of the dischargeor valve chamber. The pipe 0, leading from the end of the cylinder, isconnected with the bushing through the T D and a short coupling-pipe. Apetcock,E, is screwed into the lower opening of the T. The valve has astem, F, above and a stem, G, below the valve-disk H. The lower stem isa common fly-stem, so that the water may pass and is guided by thebushing B. The upper stem, F, is a cylindrical rod, and fits closely butnot tightly in the contracted sleeve or neck I at the lower end of thespring-chamber K. This chamber is screwed into a hole in the top of thedischarge-chamber A, the valve being placed in position when thespringchamber K is inserted. The spring L, in the form of a spiralcompression-spring,is confined in the chamber K between the disk M ontop of the upper valve-stem, F, and the plug N, screwed into the upperend of the chamber.

The plug has a central perforation, through 10 which passes the rod P,screwed at the lower end into the disk M. The plug Nis also providedwith a stuffing-box, Q. The outlet-pipe R is screwed into the bottom ofthe discharge- 5 chamber, and may be extended so as to lead the waterfrom said chamber to any convenient point. As shown in Fig. 3, the rod'P is dispensed with, and the perforation in the plug N is closed byasmall screw-plug, S. It is preferred to make the valve and its stems ofharder; metal than the bushing which forms the seat therefornamely, thevalve of phosphor-bronze and the seat of brass. The bushing B, whenscrewed home, projects into the discharge-chamber, so as to give metalthat may be gradually worn away or ground off in use. A bushing willtherefore last a long time. The apparatus is placed at any convenientpoint, with the valves upright, as shown in the drawings. It is soconnected with the steam-cylinder T that the valve-disk H is below thebottom of said cylinder. A few inches below will suffice; but a greaterdistance is not injurious. 25 The operation will be readily understood.I On closing the petcocks E the pipes O, T D, and bushing 13 fill withwater. After that all excess is ejected into the discharge-chamber A,each valve being lifted, as occasion may require, against the pressureof spring L. The discharged water is led off by the outletpipe R. Thepressure of the spring L is adjusted by the screw-plug N so that it isgreater than the pressure of the live steam, but is light enough toyield when overcompression occurs in the end of the cylinder. Preferablyit is so adjusted that the valve lifts slightly at the end of eachstroke, but closes again the, instant the piston leaves thecylinder-head.

This can be ascertained by observing the movements of the rods 1?, or,if it be preferred to use the form of plug shown in Fig. 3, by removingthe plug S, inserting a straight wire through the holein plug N, andallowing it to rest upon the disk M and observing the movements of thewire. The wire should, of course,

be long enough to project.

It is evident the modifications could be made in details withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and parts of the inventioncould be used separately. For example, a similar construction of valveand valve-seat could be used in an apparatus having a single valve-onesuch apparatus to be used at each 5 end of the cylinder.

Having now fully described my said invention and the manner of carryingthe same into effect, what I claim is- I 1. A double valve apparatuscomprising two relief-valves combined with a common discharge or valvechamber, in combination with I der, ofthe close-fitting sleeve or necksurroundsubstantially as described.

4.. The combination,with the valve-disk and its upper stem in the formof a rod or cylin- 8 ing said stem, the disk above said sleeve or 5neck, andthe relief -spring, also above said sleeve or neck, andpressing against said lastnamed disk to hold the valve to its seat, saidspring and the disk against which it acts being larger in diameter thansaid stem, sub- 1 stantially as described. 1

5. The combination,.witl1 the discharge or valve chamber, of the valvehaving an upper stem, the relief-spring, the disk against which A 5 saidspring acts, and the spring-chamber projecting into said discharge-orvalve chamber, and being contracted at its inner end, to form a sleeveor neck surrounding said stem, said disk and spring being larger indiameter than the said stem, and being arranged in the enlarged. partofthe valve-chamber above said sleeve or neck, substantially as described.

6. The double relief apparatus comprising, in combination, the commondischarge-cham- 135 her, the renewable bushings constituting thevalve-seats, the spring-chambers contracted to form a sleeve or neck atthe bottom and screwed into the said discharge-chamber on the 0ppositeside from said bushings, the valves having upper stems guided by saidsleeves or necks, and the relief-springs, substantially as described.

7. The valve having an upper sliding stem, the spring-chamber contractedat the bottom to form a neck or sleeve in which said stem slides, thedisk, the relief-spring arranged in the enlarged part of said chamberabove said neck or sleeve, and the perforated screw-plug closing theupper end of said spring-chamber, substantially as described.

8. The valve composed of avalve-disk of hard metal with one or moreguide-stems, in combination with the renewable bushing of softer metalconstituting the valve-seat, and the compression-pipe connectedwithsaidbushing, so that the latter forms a continuation thereof,substantially as described.

-9'. The combination, with the valve and the discharge or valve chamber,of the screwbushing constituting the valve-seat, andprojecting insidethe discharge-chamber on one side of said chamber and the spring-chamberscrewed into the opposite side thereof, said spring-chamber containingthe relief-spring and forming a guide for the said valve, substantiallyas described.

10. The combination, with the engine-cylinder, the pipes connected withopposite ends of the cylinder, and the two relief-valves, one for eachpipe, of the separate petcocks, one for each pipe, arranged belowthecorresponding relief-valve, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the valve having an upper stem, thespring-chamber contracted at the bottom to form a guide for said stem,the disk in the enlarged part of said spring-chamber, the relief-spring,the screw-plug in the end of the spring-chamber, and the indicatingrodsliding in said plug and fixed at its lower end in said disk,substantially as described.

12. The combination of the valve, the springchamber contracted at thebottom to form a guide for a stem on said valve, the reliefspring, thedisk above the valve, the screwplug in the outer end of thespring-chamber,

bushing of soft metal screwed into the opposite side of saiddischarge-chamber, and projecting into the latter and forming a seat tosaid valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS M. FELL.

Witnesses:

L. H. SIMrsoN, J. M. LITTELL.

